The Rape of the Sabine Women is a mythological event set at the beginning of Roman history. The newly founded city of Rome granted citizenship to criminals and lawless persons in order to grow its population quickly. This enabled it to win wars againgst its neighbours. But a lack of women meant that the city would fall within a generation or two due to lack of male offspring.

The Romans requested neighbouring Sabines to let them marry some of their women but they were refused. The Romans then invited all their neighbours to a huge religious celebration in honour of Neptune. And they came, men, women and children. In the middle of the party, the younger Romans rushed in and carried off the Sabine women who were then raped to ensure the production of offspring.

The Sabines were horrified at this open breach of the rules of hospitality, and went home and prepared for war. When, some time later (and it must have been quite some time later), they returned to take back the women by force, they found the Sabine women had reconciled with their now husbands and had given birth to children. The Sabine women stopped the battle before it started by placing themselves in between the two battle-ready groups.

The Romans and the Sabines were reconciled and the city of Rome continued to grow.

The historic record.
An ancient tribe from the mountainous region of central Italy, the Sabines frequently were at war with the early Romans, until they finally were subdued and granted full citizenship in 268 BC. This amalgamation of Latin and Sabine stock has its legendary explanation in the rape of the Sabine women.

The legend says Romulus attracted a population to his city by inviting exiles, refugees, murderers, criminals and runaway slaves. He acquired women by stealing the Sabine women after inviting them to a festival. Eventually, the Sabines accepted Romulus as their king.And the women fell in love with their husbands ec.

But more realistic studies found many relationships between the two peoples, especially regarding religion and mythology. Many Sabine deities and cults found in fact a development in Rome, and many areas of the town (like the Quirinale) were once Sabine centers. but its still very posible their was some sipute,and Roman's took their women.

The subject of the rape of the Sabine Women became a favourite topic of Commission for early oil painters; as it provided an opportunity for thinly-veiled soft porn with its graphic image/ crowd scenes for wealthy voyeuristic Art patrons.

Blutfahne your linked/downloaded pic is one of the more tasteful of such paintings.

The Sabine tribe did exist? hence there may be a truth underlying the famous tale.